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Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Almonds

I wait every year for the tiny Champagne grapes to become available just so I can make this dish. This year (two days ago) they actually had them at Costco. Score!

I seriously want to plan a dinner party around their availability because this dish is that GOOD!

It is the perfect appetizer or first course. The buttery scallops with the sweet grapes and crunchy almonds is just a perfect match.

Despite the name, Champagne grapes, they are not used to make sparkling wine. The tiny clusters most likely got their name because they resemble the tiny bubbles in a glass of Champagne.

So if you see these in your store or at the Farmer’s Market, pick them up so that you too can experience Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Almonds. However, I’m warning you will become addicted to this dish and serve it to your family for three days in a row. Sorry, it had to be done.

Let’s make it together, the ingredients are so simple but add so much flavor. You’ll see.

Here are the tiny-clustered Champagne grapes. Cute aren’t they? You will need about 4 ounces of these or 2/3 cup.

Melt 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the butter until it is browned, about 2 minutes.

Salt and pepper your scallops before adding them to the pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side and transfer to a dish, covering to keep warm.

Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1-1/2 Tablespoons minced shallots and 2/3 cup grapes; sauté until the shallots are golden, about one minute. Stir in 1-1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and any accumulated scallop juice from the plate of cooked scallops. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.

Stir in 1/3 cup almonds and 1-1/2 Tablespoons parsley.

Place scallops on individual plates and spoon the amazing sauce over them.

I love a scallop with browned edges. Isn’t this one beautiful?

Open up and take a bite!

Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Almondsadapted from Bon Appetit

Melt 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the butter until it is browned, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper your scallops before adding them to the pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side and transfer to a dish, covering to keep warm.

Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallotsand grapes; sauce until the shallots are golden brown, about one minute. Stir in fresh lemon juice and any accumulated scallop juice from the plate of cooked scallops. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in almonds and parsley.

Place scallops on individual plates and spoon the sauce over them. Serve immediately.

O.K. Hubby will have to stop at Costco to get these grapes…or maybe we can find some at our Farmers’ Markets, I know he will want to serve this dish, Every ingredient in the dish is something I love to eat !

By the way, we served your recipe , your very easy recipe of Chambourg over good vanilla ice cream to a crowd, some from England, and wow ! That particular dessert is on our forever to be on the list of easy but memorable desserts to definitely be served !KathyB.

How did you know? They are my favourite grapes of all!!! I know they make a great pairing with almonds and I can only imagine the havenly taste that scallops bring into this “equation” (No, I’m not a math freak 😛 )

I’m an hour and 20 minutes from a Costco! That’s sad. We do have a Sam’s 30 miles away but it’s just not the same.Your pictures are BEAUTIFUL! They make me want to like scallops. I know I’m weird. I don’t care for lobsta either. Being from Maine I get lot’s of flak

How adventuresome! How do you get over the fear of fruit in savory dishes in order to try it for the first time? Or am I the only one who freaks out a little when they see fruit on a dinner plate? It looks delicious, but I only recently got the cahones to try a salad with fruit-I know, I know, it’s like the dark ages over here.

These look so good! Alas, dh does not like scallops. He says they’re too squishy. Now, I’m averse to squishy lunch meats, but scallops (assuming they’re fully cooked) are good squishy. I’ll be dreaming about these and the scallops I had at The Slanted Door tonight though! Someday maybe I’ll have scallop loving guests and I’ll tell dh he has to suck it up and eat the scallops “for our guests”.

Hmmm,I hadn’t really heard about Champagne grapes till this past weekend. Nicole stayed at a friends house and she hasd them from Costco, lol, and nicole loved them! I like scallops but have to be in the mood for them, but I like grapes and almonds too, so combining them sounds pretty delish! Thanks for sharing!

those little grapes are so cute! i must buy them–even though i detest costco. as for the scallops…i don’t eat anything that comes from the water, so i guess i’ll just eat the grapes with a handful of almond slivers. i’ll let ya know how it goes. 🙂

That looks so good except I don’t like scallops. But at first I thought they were pork chops (we’re having pork tonight and it’s obviously on my mind) and I was wondering how it would be with pork instead? I may have to try that. I will keep an eye out for the grapes and let you know:)

Simply beautiful! I just saw champagne grapes at a local farm stand and thought, “how cute!” but beyond admiring them, didn’t know what to do with them. You manage once again to stay one step ahead of my cooking needs.

Holy cow, Cathy, that looks amazing. I normally don’t eat until I have finished my coffee, but all this has my tummy grumbling.I’m sure these grapes are only available in your neck of the woods. My husband’s good friend owns a winery and we get a few of the grapes annually for jam. But they are pretty bitter. What grape do you think would substitute best for this dish?

Thanks for the great recipe. We already ate our champagne grapes–with sauternes and some cheese for dessert–but next year we’ll have this instead. It looks so beautiful, and I’m sure it tastes that way, too!

OH NO. Now my dinner plans are out the window and I’m shifting gears to make this. I saw these grapes at my corner market yesterday and just kept walking. Silly me. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe! I’ll be posting about it tomorrow (with credit to the noblest pig, of course).

YUMM, this looks wonderful Cathy. I never would have thought to combine all of these ingredients. I could care less if my husband will like this, I am going to make it this weekend. I wish I could find these grapes!

Wow, those scallops are just gorgeous! I’ve never cooked with champagne grapes before, but I’m really intrigued. Come to think, I’ve never actually made scallops either (I know)! But I do like them a lot, so maybe this would be a good inaugural recipe to try.

I have seen those in Sun Valley and bought them purely on their curb appeal. They are tasty and delicate too…. this dish looks good. When my brain is fried from toddler stuff its nice to come to a grownup food blog sprinkled with lovely food ideas. thanks for the inspiration!

other than wine, this is the best use for grapes that i’ve ever seen. what a stunning display–it’d knock the socks off of any guest! thanks for sharing this looker with us, i can see why you look forward to it. 🙂

I just knew you would come up with the perfect seafood recipe in time for me to run down to the store and pick up some scallops! Thank You. Tomorrow is grocery day and I plan on doing the recipe if I can find those tiny grapes. I imagine the other type of grapes will do, though. Thanks for this one. It looks like it will be one of my favorites. What kind of wine do you suggest?

Beautifully photographed and well-written post. Am loving the last shot. Cathy, I can’t believe how far you’ve come since I first started reading your blog. You’d just started. I’m amazed, but not really. You are just darn good!

Oh my gosh, this looks fantastic. Even better, I have all of these ingredients in my fridge! My kids love snacking on those grapes and it’s never occurred to me to cook with them! Great, great recipe! YUM!

CATHY! I think this is possibly the best recipe ever posted on these internets. I saw those little champagne grapes at the organic grocer yesterday! I might just have to run back over there and pick some up.

omg omg omg! u know why I am so excited? A few days ago, I was at the supermarket, wondering what these champagne grapes are (n so I didn’t buy them), and today, I saw your gorgeous dish! *bookmarked* I am going to crawl back to the supermarket soon, hee!

Wow, I don’t like seafood, but these look so great I’m writing it down for making for company!

BTW, I *think* champagne grapes are called that because you drop a couple *in* a glass of champagne and they float up and down. I know that’s done with some kind of fruit, and I thought it was tiny grapes & currants as well.

I just did it!! I used salmon steaks. Did not have parsley and hate it anyway. I used dill instead. Did not have almond used cashew nuts instead. My husband said that the steaks were too dry – so I floated them in 3 tbsp of unsweetened coconut milk. Was a great hit. Thank you very much. Anna Chacko MD

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HI! I’M CATHY.

Hi! I’m Cathy. I’ve escaped from a peculiar
Northern California college town that built an
underground tunnel to save toads from the
potentials of vehicular frog-slaughter. I now
live in Mcminnville, Oregon where my husband
and I have planted a vineyard, started a winery
and make wine in the heart of Oregon wine
country. I love mayonnaise, butter and
Jewish men. Barry, Jerry and Larry come to
mind. Gluttony is my sin of choice. Welcome
to my weird and wonderful world.